Pistachio and Rosewater Cake

In Mandarin, pistachios are known as kai-xin-guo (happy nut). The name comes from the fact that the shell on the pistachio is split open in a way it looks like it’s smiling. I love the green and pinkish-red colors of the nut and, of course, its flavor. In many Turkish desserts, the pistachio is often paired with rosewater, like the baklava.

Anyway, I chanced upon a recipe for a pistachio cake. The original uses semolina flour and a honey glaze. This one, I used ground almonds and a rosewater glaze. The end product is light and fluffy – perfect as a breakfast cake (okay, fine, I had it for breakfast). It’s also a very beautiful cake if you love the rustic-look thing.

Finely chop up the pistachios. You could put them in a food processor but I prefer to chop them up by hand to keep the texture interesting. Set aside.

Beat the eggs and the sugar for 5 minutes on high speed. Switch to low speed and slowly add in the olive oil. Then add the rosewater and lemon zest. Add the flour mixture into the egg mixture in 3 batches, mix until combined but be careful not to overmix. Finally, fold in the pistachios.

Pour the cake mixture into the pan and smooth the top out with the back of a spoon. Pop it into the oven for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

As the cake is baking, make the syrup by dissolving the sugar in water and lemon juice. Reduce the liquid and then add the rosewater. Once the cake is done, poke holes all over the top and evenly pour the syrup over it. Finally, dress the cake with roughly chopped pistachios.